Cognitive Persistence and Executive Function in the Multilingual Brain During Aging

Structural and functional changes of anterior cingulate cortex subregions in migraine without aura: relationships with pain sensation and pain emotion

Migraine without aura is a multidimensional neurological disorder characterized by sensory, emotional, and cognitive symptoms linked to structural and functional abnormalities in the anterior cingulate cortex. Anterior cingulate cortex subregions play differential roles in the clinical symptoms of migraine without aura; however, the specific patterns and mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, voxel-based morphometry and seed-based functional connectivity were used to investigate structural and functional alterations in the anterior cingulate cortex subdivisions in 50 patients with migraine without aura and 50 matched healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, patients exhibited (1) decreased gray matter volume in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, (2) increased functional connectivity between the bilateral subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and right middle frontal gyrus, and between the posterior part of anterior cingulate cortex and right middle frontal gyrus, orbital part, and (3) decreased functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri. Notably, left subgenual anterior cingulate cortex was correlated with the duration of each attack, whereas the right subgenual anterior cingulate cortex was associated with migraine-specific quality-of-life questionnaire (emotion) and self-rating anxiety scale scores. Our findings provide new evidence supporting the hypothesis of abnormal anterior cingulate cortex subcircuitry, revealing structural and functional abnormalities in its subregions and emphasizing the potential involvement of the left subgenual anterior cingulate cortex-related pain sensation subcircuit and right subgenual anterior cingulate cortex -related pain emotion subcircuit in migraine.

Mild cognitive impairment estimation based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy

Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at a high risk of developing future dementia. However, early identification and active intervention could potentially reduce its morbidity and the incidence of dementia. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has been proposed as a noninvasive modality for detecting oxygenation changes in the time-varying hemodynamics of the prefrontal cortex. This study sought to provide an effective method for detecting patients with MCI using fNIRS and the Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) to evaluate changes in blood oxygenation. The results revealed that all groups with a lower mini-mental state examination grade had a higher increase in HHb concentration during a modified WCST (MCST). The increase in the change in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the stroke group was smaller than that in the normal group due to weak cerebrovascular reactivity.

Subject Specific Mastery Motivation in Moldovan Middle School Students

Given the crucial role of mastery motivation in the cognitive development of children, the present study investigates subject-specific mastery motivation in the multilingual educational system of the Republic of Moldova. We applied cross-sectional data from fifth, seventh, and ninth graders studying either in the Romanian (n = 583) or Russian (n = 353) language using the Subject Specific Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (SSMMQ). To ensure the validity of the comparison of latent mean differences, the Romanian and Russian versions of SSMMQ were validated and measurement invariance of the constructs across language, grade, and gender was assessed. The full scalar invariance across grades and gender and the partial scalar invariance across language held. Thus, a comparison of latent mean differences across these three groups is plausible. The findings proved that there was no difference between the Romanian and Russian samples, but we found girls self-rated themselves significantly higher than boys in the Reading, Art, and Music mastery motivation scales. Results with respect to the comparison of latent mean differences between the grade levels demonstrated that the Reading mastery motivation of the Moldovan students stayed stable from fifth to ninth grades, whereas Art had a constant declining path.

Preliminary Analysis of Volume-Based Resting-State Functional MRI Characteristics of Successful Aging in China

BACKGROUND

Resting-state function MRI (rs-fMRI) research on successful aging can provide insight into the mechanism of aging with a different perspective from aging-related disease.

OBJECTIVE

rs-fMRI research was used to analyze the brain function characteristics of successful aging.

METHODS

A total of 47 usual aging individuals and 26 successful aging (SA) individuals underwent rs-fMRI scans and neuropsychological tests. Volume-based rs-fMRI data analysis was performed with DPASF to obtain ALFF, ReHo, DC, and VMHC.

RESULTS

The SA group showed increased ALFF in right opercular part of inferior frontal gyrus (Frontal_Inf_Oper_R) and right supramarginal gyrus; increased ReHo in right middle temporal pole gyrus and decreased ReHo in left superior frontal gyrus and middle occipital gyrus; increased DC in right medial orbitofrontal gyrus and pulvinar part of thalamus; decreased DC in left fusiform gyrus and right medial frontal gyrus; increased VMHC in right medial orbitofrontal gyrus; and decreased VMHC in the right superior temporal gyrus, right and left middle temporal gyrus, right and left triangular part of inferior frontal gyrus. ALFF in Frontal_Inf_Oper_R were found to be significantly correlated with MMSE scores (r = 0.301, p = 0.014) and ages (r = -0.264, p = 0.032) in all subjects, which could be used to distinguish the SA (AUC = 0.733, 95% CI: 0.604-0.863) by ROC analysis.

CONCLUSION

The brain regions with altered fMRI characteristics in SA group were concentrated in frontal (6 brain regions) and temporal (4 brain regions) lobes. ALFF in Frontal_Inf_Oper_R was significantly correlated to cognitive function and ages, which might be used to distinguish the SA.